Sunday, September 13, 2009

KODACHROME, 126, 110 and the EXPIRED give away

Kodachrome Krazy

In 1935 KODACHROME Film was introduced and became the first commercially successful amateur color film. In June ’09 Kodak announced the discontinuation of their most famous film.

“Kodachrome's popularity peaked in the 1960s and '70s, when Americans' urge to catalog every single holiday, family vacation and birthday celebration hit its stride. Kodachrome II, a faster, more versatile version of the film, came out in 1961, making it even more appealing to the point-and-shoot generation. Super 8, a low-speed fine-grain Kodachrome movie film, was released in 1965 — and was used to film seemingly every wedding, beach holiday and backyard barbecue for the next decade. (Aficionados can check out the opening credits of the '80s coming-of-age drama The Wonder Years for a quick hit of nostalgia.) When Paul Simon sang, "Mama, don't take my Kodachrome away" in 1973, Kodak was still expanding its Kodachrome line, and it was hard to believe that it would ever disappear. But by the mid-1980s, video camcorders and more easily processed color film from companies like Fuji and Polaroid encroached on Kodachrome's market share, and the film fell into disfavor.”-Time On-Linehttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1906503,00.html

I was fortunate enough to find 50 rolls of Kodachrome 64 from the last batched shipped from Kodak at Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ. It will be a bittersweet experience shooting.

Keystone Auto Instant 126 Cartridge Camera.

The 126 camera pictured was my "first camera," a hand-me-down from my parents (when they purchased a new 110 camera). The 126 Keystone needs no batteries and uses MagiCube flash bulbs. I shot with this camera until luck would have it, my Aunt gave me her old Canon FT...quite a step up!

On a recent trip to my parent’s home, I reclaimed the Keystone. I was happy to find that 126 film can still be purchased through The Frugal Photographer ( http://www.frugalphotographer.com ). Processing is available via Dwayne's Photo (http://www.dwaynesphoto.com/)

"Everything should look like a memory, that's the 126" is what my friend John Fedele (pictured above) said when he saw this image. I agree. The "look" of 126 cartridge film is unmistakable.

Pentax Auto 110 Camera

The images are back from the Pentax Auto 110 / Fujicolor 100asa film. The film was imported from Japan Exposures, Japan, processed by Dwayne’s Photo of Kansas, USA with negatives scanned on my Epson v700 scanner.

Great images from the mini-110 camera!

Here is a link to the Pentax Auto 110 group on Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/pentax110/

Kudos to Kodak

This past Summer Kodak started a Flickr group called KODAK EXPIRED FILM and offered 400 people the chance to receive 10 rolls of expired film. I was one of the “Lucky 400.”

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